OverDrive - Johnston on the Kadri and Maple Leafs rumblings, Marner's start in Vegas and Ehlers' team choices

Episode Date: July 2, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, Nikolaj Ehlers' sweepstakes in the league, Andrew Mangiapane's signing with the Oilers, Nazem Kadri's trade market in Toronto and the likelihood of a deal, Bowen Byram's offer sheet, Mitch Marner's introduction with the Golden Knights and more.

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The station that champions Canadian music. Loud, proud, and all yours. No passports required. Just press play. Tap into Made in Canada now on iHeartRadio.ca or the free iHeartRadio app. He is our hockey insider, Chris Johnston. T.J., Nick Ehlers, what's going on my man? Well, I don't know. I don't have a fresh update for you.

I mean, I was told earlier in the day that his intention was to sign a contract today to make his decision, but it's getting pretty late in Denmark right now. And so I'm not saying he's not going to. I just don't have fresh up to the moment whether it's going to happen. But obviously, you know, he was in a pretty unique position, I'd say, with most of the top names being out of the mix by the time they got to July 1st, you know, players would either sign or we had the Marner sign and trade. Uh, even Brock Batcher took himself off the market. I mean,

Niklai Ehlers was in a position, uh, where he, he could take his time. And that's what he did. I know he spent the last day and a half year having conversations with people from the organizations that, that were interested in his services. And what's unique about that is he actually gets time to think about where he's going, which is not something a lot of players can say that signed July 1st or July 2nd in the NHL. As much as you prepare for it, I think the day is pretty hectic and you just got to dive

right in and make a call quickly and he's actually getting a little bit of sober second thought I'll call it to really make the best informed decision you can for his future. Chris, Dave and I were talking about Andrew Mangiapani signing a two-year deal, 3.6 a year with the Edmonton Oilers. Was that a player that you believe the Toronto Maple Leafs were pursuing? They definitely had interest, you know, and there were some teams yesterday, I know, that thought he was actually going to Toronto. But you know, ultimately, obviously, Edmonton managed to land him and I think he's a sneaky good

signing for the Oilers in this free agent market in the year where you know there weren't really game breakers didn't end up being available to teams you know we're really looking at kind of a secondary market but you know when you look at Monge Pony's underlying numbers and I think his potential to pop if he gets some meaningful time beside Connor McDavid and or Leon Drysidle, I mean 3.6 million in the current environment could look like a pretty good steal for them. So the Leafs certainly I think we're looking at all the options. They like Nikolai Ehlers too.

I just don't know that Ehlers wanted to jump into a hockey market quite like this one is part of the next phase of his career. And so, you know, I do believe at this stage we can say pretty confidently that whatever the Leafs do to address the holes at the top of the forward lineup will have to be done by trade or maybe to be done by trade or maybe just be done in time. It doesn't mean the trade's happening tomorrow. It might be something that is a longer term project sometime before the trade deadline next season. On the subject of trades, with regards to the Toronto Maple Leafs, there has been some

buzz about reported interest in Nazem Kadru. Of course, was it Toronto Maple Leafs? It was actually signed by Brad Tree Living to the current deal. He's on with the flames. What can you tell us about that possibility? I can tell you that I have no reason to believe that there's anything cooking there. You know, I don't don't think that that's something. It's not to say it can't happen down the road. You know, it's not to say that there isn't some interest. I just don't think that Togri Flames are in a position where that sort of trade is happening

in the near future here. So you know, the truth is, is I get that everyone wants to identify these trade targets for the Leafs. I don't know that even they know who they are at this point in time. I mean, this is, this is a pretty unique summer around the NHL. A lot of the players we expected to be traded kind of in this window around the draft period did get moved. But now, you know, I just wonder how the trade market develops.

I think it's going to be more robust than it's been in years gone by, you know, half the league frankly puts up a gone fishing sign by the 4th of July in the NHL. I don't think that's going to be something that can be afforded to too many front offices at this stage. And so, you know, I think it's going to be the way that the least front office found it to be a grind to get through some of those contract negotiations before signing the deals with Tavares and Knives and, you know, getting to where they are now.

I think it's still going to be a grind to fill out this roster, but, you know, they are armed with a bit of cap space. I think they have players that can be moved elsewhere to maybe even create more cap space if they need it. And so, you know, I, I, at this point in time, I just, I don't think the cadre rumors are, I don't even know where they're coming from. To be honest, it's hard to keep track these days. So much stuff applies around social media, but I just don't have any reason to believe there's there's any likes that at this stage

Yeah, fair enough CJ, but I mean you can see the sort of the germination of that idea because you know This was a this was a summer where the idea was hey, they might take a run at Sam Bennett Well, no Sam Bennett side. They might take a run at Brad Marchand now Marchand signed back in Florida there's this idea that they need a player with those types of characteristics those playoff bona fides and the ability to rise to the occasion and and and be a guy that can play in the in the pit of the cauldron of the Stanley Cup playoffs and Kadri obviously has done that he's got his cup in Colorado. Can you think of other guys who might be on the market who fit that bill?

Cause there's not exactly a long list of guys who have those types of career resume credentials. Well, I can think of guys that fit the criteria laying out there, Dave. I don't know who's available though, because right now there's not enough teams trying to be bad in NHL. It's just a fact. I mean Pittsburgh is the only team that I would say is like actively

rebuilding at this stage. Now I realize you have teams like Chicago and San Jose that have been at the bottom of the league for multiple years and you know they still not yet be ready to even jump anywhere near a playoff contention but those teams are not looking to shed themselves of useful players. They're trying to find more of them, you know, right now so they can make that climb. And so, you know, that's definitely a challenge. I can understand where the cadre fascination comes from, but to hear you lay it out, honestly, I just feel like what irony the way you're speaking about it, because it was obviously the things that happened in the playoffs specifically with

Nazem Padri, the two suspensions he had in Toronto against those back-to-back series against Boston. I mean, that's the reason he was traded to begin with. He wasn't dealt out of town because he had a bad contract. In fact, he was on a very team friendly contract at that point in time. He wasn't dealt out of town because he didn't produce in a regular season. He was putting up the exact kind of numbers you expected. It was because they felt they couldn't trust him in the playoffs. And now, you know, there could be a world where people are saying, well, you got to bring this guy back because of what he can do in the playoffs. I mean, it's just funny how these things come around. But, you know,

I will never rule it out as a long-term possibility because You know, we all know the affinity that that Naz had for playing in Toronto You know, he really he really relished quite honestly I think being a first-round pick at least being a local guy being an eye of the hurricane, you know He didn't mind even sometimes when controversy swirled around him, I always felt like he handled that pretty well. He didn't shy away from it. I think he was able to handle the market. If there was a world where the flames were ever truly putting him on the market, I think the Leafs would be there, but I just don't think we exist in

that reality right now. TSN hockey insider Chris Johnson, our guest. This is our three of overdrive. The latest on bone, Byram is what? Because there's been talks about a trade, an offer sheet, I mean a lot of speculation surrounding the Sabres defenseman. What's the latest on that one? Well, I mean it's getting interesting I'd say because you know obviously there is legitimate offer sheet.

Whisper is out there for Byrom. I do think he's a player that teams are looking to see if they could you know structure one of those in a way that would you know help extract them from Buffalo because that's ultimately the point of an offer sheet right. I mean I know that we sometimes think oh you can you can cripple another team make them make a bad decision but ultimately you're trying to get the player and and there's a ton of interest in Bowen Byrom the player. You know, but you had Kevin Adams, you know, meeting the reporters in Buffalo this morning and talking about how they're going to match any offer sheet that he gets.

And so it's a bit of a stalemate. It's getting somewhat public and the pressure goes up under those circumstances. So you know, the Sabres are more than willing to trade Byrom. I think the biggest issue they've encountered is, is getting someone back who can help them in real time. You know, I don't think they want to make a futures deal. It's the same reason they wouldn't want to let them walk as a, as a, as an offer sheet candidate if he actually does sign one because they'd be getting draft picks in that case.

And I don't think that at this stage of where the Sabres are at, the draft picks hold much appeal for them. I mean, they've drafted far too often, far too high in the last 14 years and I don't think that at this stage of where the Sabres are at the draft picks hold much appeal for them I mean they've drafted far too often far too high in the last 14 years and still haven't been able to get back to the playoffs so they need they need actual players and and so they haven't found the fit to make that kind of trade but I do believe they'll still stay at it and you know you have a team like the Calgary Flames who's you know entertained some trade talks on Rasmus Anderson you know I think it could it could make sense in a world if the Flames can find a way to move Anderson that they're signing that they're doing it in concert with making

a trade to get someone like Bo and Byron signing him. So the interest goes beyond that with Byron too. So you know this as I said I do think this is going to be a new year's summer than usual in the NHL and it's only gonna be a few of us left here to talk about it while the rest of the gang are up at the cottage. Well, boo hoo for us, CJ, but it could be fun, man, but let me ask you this one, CJ. What you watched with rap detention last night

as Overdrive was ending with Mitch Marner taking the stage in Las Vegas for his introductory press conference down there, I wanted to get your reaction. I mean like are you hearing buzz? What is the fallout in terms of the Leafs dressing room to see you know one of the core four, one of the one of the linchpins of this Maple Leafs team over the last decade in another uniform? Well I think it's fascinating myself and you know, my view and I was sitting, you know, five, five hour flight away here back in Toronto just watching it all, you know, the press

availability, but I mean, man, to me, Mitch Marder looked, you know, like he'd had the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders. I mean, pretty excited, obviously, for this next chapter in his life. You know, he's become a father here in the last few months. I think he sees this as truly a turn the page kind of moment for him and his family. And he's joining a team that, you know, basically its entire existence has been truly going all in to win every season. And I think as a player, what more can you ask? He's doing it also while being paid as the alongside Nico Renton as the highest paid wingers in the league at $12 million a year. So, you know, it's

a total home run for Mitch Marner, you know, time will tell if it's a home run for the Golden Knights, but I know they certainly love the first impression they had of him yesterday. And you know, how it leaves us all here in Toronto is, you know, I'm not too sure. I mean, I think that most of us would agree that have been close to this team. Like we have the three of us is this is probably overdue that, that, you know, more than once have we either talked about or written about that the need maybe to consider something other than the strategy the team had embarked on with, with the building the team around, you know, for highly paid players.

And, and now, you know, in turn, it ends up getting forced on them had embarked on with building the team around four highly paid players. And now in turn, it ends up getting forced on them that Marner leaves. It was his decision and clearly, and he left for, well, Nicolas Wah is a useful player for the Leafs. He's obviously not in the same class as Mitch Marner. And so now it gets spicy just in terms of what the Leafs can do to move on. You know, because Barnard is a diminutive guy, but he leaves a massive hole in the lineup, right?

Like, where do you find someone who is a top penalty killer, who is on your first line producing 100 points, who's obviously a power play wizard, you know, played three on three for them when they get to overtime? I mean, he truly is one of the most useful forwards in the league at that. It recognizes shortcomings. I recognize that the playoff production wasn't there and I can understand why you get to this point in time, but you know, there's just no, there's no replacing that with, with one or even two players, I don't think, but that's the challenge

that Brad True Living now faces. Yeah. And clearly a guy like Austin Matthews is going to have to step up with Marner gone, his line made, a guy who scored 69 goals just a couple of years ago, had a down year. Is there any reason to believe that Matthews health is compromised at all heading into the offseason or the expectation is 100% full go come September? That's the expectation. I've heard nothing to suggest to the contrary.

And you know, last year that was the way when he returned, that that was the way he felt. It was something he tweaked during training camp that that led to that this season being what it was in terms of, you know, the time you missed during the year, the trip to Germany and never got back to what was 100%. So you know, he's obviously had some degree of injury history as a lot of players do when they get nine or 10 years into a pro career. And so I can't say how that's going to go because a lot of it will be what happens. But certainly there's no reason to sense that there's, to anticipate that there will be

those limitations. I think he's full go in terms of his training and expects to be healthy next season and obviously he's going to be looking to have a bigger year personally because you know that's going to be required of him I think in a world without Marner. Marner kind of made some allusions to talking to teammates on the Leafs, CJ, about Vegas. Guys who played for the Golden Knights, Ryan Reeves, Max Pacioretti, and how they were essentially giving him good reviews of life in the Nevada desert. How do you think that goes over in Leafland,

that these guys are talking up a potential landing spot for one of the prize free agents in Maple Leafs history? Yeah, I think it felt a little bit like saying the quiet part out loud. You know, I'm not surprised to hear those kinds of conversations happen. Frankly, they happen in our business. I've been in a position where I've been thinking

about leaving a job and you talk to the people, what's it like over there? You know, what's the environment like? I do think it's a normal conversation to have, but you know, they may not appreciate that becoming public knowledge. And look, it was Mitch Marner's right to go live and play where, you know, he, he wanted to play. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. And what would you do if a colleague asked you about, you know, something and you

had some experience? I mean, it's probably not going to sit too, too well, but on the list, you know, when, when the dust settles, I also don't think it's all that serious. And, you know, this league is a small town and everybody kind of knows each other and those sort of conversations I think are pretty typical. It's just not that, don't always hear someone mention that he had those conversations when he's buying a microphone. Right. And the small townness of the NHL leads to the back you don't always hear people complaining about tampering

there was some that there was some suggest the lease might raise a stink about tampering here cj what do you hear on that front it from the league and i think it doesn't sound like they have any concern now obviously they're presented with new information uh... or or some kind of proof of something i guess i could change but uh... you know i i do think the fact that ultimately a trade happens, you know, it just it just feels like it's not going to happen.

And look, it's shaky ground. I mean, there's there's definitely a lot of gray involved with tampering. I think to prove tampering, you really need a paper trail. You know, I think in this case, it just felt like the team, the team in this case being the Gold Knights wanted Marner and that Marner wanted to go to them, but the Leafs also engaged in trade talks with the Gold Knights too. So I don't know how that would ever be adjudicated. My belief is it will probably go down as part of just another layer of this overall story, but I'd be surprised if it resulted in any sort of punishment or anything of that nature and you know

I don't have again I don't have any reasonably beliefs or even pursuing that I think some of this is just conjecture and it you know comes out of the emotion of everything going on as well so you know perhaps I'm wrong on that but but my sense is this will probably fade into the background now that the dust has settled on the whole Marner era. Chris, you're the man. I know a lot of our analysts and insiders have headed up north, or in Muskoka,

or the Quarithers, or wherever, but you're still here grinding away ahead of, I guess, day two of NHL Free AGC, and thanks for coming on the show today. We really appreciate it. Yeah, I'm adjudicating the Pious Tudor Sweet Steak from going to St. Louis, so, there you go. Exciting stuff. Thanks, buddy. See you guys. All right, that's Chris Johnson, DSN Hockey, and Sutter. Now, learn the details of how they came to be. All your pockets in the house tonight.

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